Sinus Disease: Treat or Tolerate?

Abstract

Most so-called sinus infections are viral at first, beginning as a cold or influenza. Although the patient may insist that he has “sinus,” the paranasal sinuses may not be involved. Even if they are involved, when infection is still viral a decision to tolerate and not to treat aggressively is justified. However, the symptoms could be due to bacterial infection, allergy, a developmental defect, or tumor. Thus, the decision to treat or to tolerate sinus disease rests on definitive diagnosis of the disease process.